Phygelius plant named ‘Lemon Teardrops’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Phygelius  plant named ‘Lemon Teardrops’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; numerous light yellow-colored flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Phygelius rectus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘LEMON TEARDROPS’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Phygelius plant, botanically known as Phygelius rectus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Lemon Teardrops’.

The new Phygelius plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Phygelius cultivars with numerous attractive flowers.

The new Phygelius plant originated from a cross-pollination in August, 2006 in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, of two unnamed selections of Phygelius rectus, not patented. The new Phygelius was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands in July, 2007.

Asexual reproduction of the new Phygelius plant by softwood cuttings in a controlled environment in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands since July, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Phygelius plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Phygelius have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Lemon Teardrops’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Lemon Teardrops’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Phygelius:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Numerous light yellow-colored flowers.     -   4. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Phygelius differ primarily from plants of the parent selections in flowering habit as plants of the new Phygelius are more freely flowering than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Phygelius can be compared to plants of Phygelius aequalis ‘Yellow Trumpet’, not patented. Plants of the new Phygelius and ‘Yellow Trumpet’ differ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Phygelius have lighter yellow-colored         flowers than plants of ‘Yellow Trumpet’.     -   2. Plants of the new Phygelius are more hardy than plants of         ‘Yellow Trumpet’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Phygelius plant, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Phygelius plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Lemon Teardrops’ grown in an outdoor nursery container.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical flower of ‘Lemon Teardrops’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of a typical leaf of ‘Lemon Teardrops’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown in Rijpwetering, The Netherlands, under commercial practice during the late summer in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 14° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranging from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants used in the photographs and description were two years old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Phygelius rectus ‘Lemon Teardrops’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Phygelius             rectus, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Phygelius             rectus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four weeks at 14° C. to 32° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 200 days months             at 10° C. to 28° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness and moderately fleshy;             light greyed brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Moderately freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/habit.—Herbaceous perennial; upright and             outwardly spreading plant habit; broad inverted triangle;             moderately vigorous growth habit; freely basally branching             habit with about five basal branches developing per plant.         -   Plant height.—About 67 cm.         -   Plant width (spread).—About 55.5 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 29.9 cm. Diameter: About             5 mm. Internode length: About 3.4 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 146C. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 8.8 cm.         -   Width.—About 4.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Bluntly acute.         -   Base.—Obtuse.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 138B to 138C.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 137A and 139A;             venation, close to 144A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to N138C; venation, close to 144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: Close to 3.5 cm. Diameter: Close to 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color,             upper surface: Close to 146B. Color, lower surface: Close to             144A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single salverform flowers arranged in             terminal panicles; freely flowering habit, usually about 60             flowers per panicle; flowers elongated and pendulous.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Flowering continuous from mid-July             to late September in The Netherlands; plants commence             flowering about nine months after planting.         -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about one week on the plant;             flowers not persistent.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 37.2 cm.         -   Inflorescence width.—About 12.6 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 1.8 cm.         -   Flower length.—About 6.4 cm.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 3.8 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm.             Shape: Narrowly oblong to obovate. Color: Close to 1C to 1D.         -   Corolla.—Shape/arrangement: Tubular; five fused petals;             petals are free on distal 17.5% of tube. Petal apex: Broadly             acute. Petal margin: Entire; revolute. Petal length: About             4.5 cm. Petal width: About 7 mm. Petal texture, upper and             lower surfaces of petal lobes: Smooth, glabrous. Petal             color: When opening, inner surface: Tube, close to 2D;             towards the apex, close to 1C. When opening, outer surface:             Tube, close to 2C tinged with close to 39D; towards the             apex, close to 2B to 2C. Fully opened, inner surface: Tube,             close to 2D; towards the apex, close to 1C. Fully opened,             outer surface: Tube, close to 2D; towards the apex, close to             1C.         -   Calyx.—Shape/arrangement: Campanulate; five fused sepals;             sepals are free on distal 20% of tube. Length: About 7 mm.             Diameter: About 1 cm. Sepal apex: Acute. Sepal margin:             Entire. Sepal length: About 7 mm. Sepal width: About 3 mm.             Sepal texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Sepal color, inner surface: Close to 143B to 143C. Sepal             color, outer surface: Close to 137A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 36.9 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: Primary flowering stems, erect;             secondary flowering stems, about 55° from the stem. Color:             Close to 146A, may be tinged with close to N199A.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About 1 mm.             Strength: Strong. Angle: About 30° from the stem. Color,             upper surface: Close to 183A. Color, lower surface: Close to             144A to 144B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Stamen quantity: Four per             flower; basifixed. Filament length: About 1.7 cm. Filament             color: Close to 2D. Anther length: About 3 mm. Anther shape:             Oval. Anther color: Close to 197A. Pollen amount: Scarce.             Pollen color: Darker than 195A. Gynoecium: Pistil quantity:             One per flower. Pistil length: About 5.8 cm. Style length:             About 5.7 cm. Style color: Close to 148D. Stigma shape:             Club-shaped. Stigma color: Close to 143A. Ovary color: Close             to 143C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Phygelius have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Phygelius. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Phygelius have been observed     to have good garden performance and tolerate rain and wind. Plants     of the new Phygelius tolerate high temperatures of about 35° C. and     are winter hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 7. 

1. A new and distinct Phygelius plant named ‘Lemon Teardrops’ as illustrated and described. 